Before I start, this is not an original idea. Giving away free samples has been
done for years. Even drug dealers know to give away a free sample. “The first
taste is free, [then when you’re addicted] the next one is going to cost you.”

Q: Why not just publish one chapter for free?

A: Well, you could certainly chose to publish just one chapter. It’s a marketing
tactic that has been done for years. But, it doesn’t work quite the same way.
Sure, you can write 20 solid pages. But, there are many writers who don’t have
the skill to write a novel. By giving away the first novel, you show the reader
that you understand the implicit agreement between reader and author—the story
ending makes sense and that the story should draw the reader into the world and
keep him interested.

If you’re planning to write more novels, then you want to build a brand that
lasts. Having an audience is the first step to building a brand. Giving away the
first novel helps build that brand.

A well-told story will attract a reader more than a well-written first chapter.

Q: I put a lot of hard work into that novel, there’s no way I’m going to just give it away.

Right. I drafted at a rate of about 2000 words per day, and I’m editing at about
1000 words per day. So, The initial draft took me 45 days and the edit longer
(more because I’m still learning the edit process). So, I put in probably two
labor months into the process so far. That’s a lot of time. Does it matter? If
my novel does not sell, then that time is wasted anyway.

You’re asking a first-time reader to invest hours (hopefully) to read and
appreciate your novel. You’re asking him to spend some money. What if you fail
to keep up your side of the agreement and deliver a lousy novel? By giving away
the novel, you’re accepting the risk—not your reader.

Q: But, what if they never read more than that one novel?

One aspect of the publishing industry is they bank on those authors who promise
commercial success year-after-year. A friend of mine knows an author who just
got dropped after his third novel because the sales are not there. Wonderful
stories, compelling writing, just not enough profit for the publisher. The
author even had one of his novels made into a TV movie. Is he commercially
viable? Not for the publisher. However, I’ll bet if he were to self-publish and
follow the “free taste” model, he could better find his target audience.

If your free novel does not induce a reader to buy the next one, then frankly
you’re not a commercially viable author. And, if you’re afraid of that and sell
your novel for a price, then your commercial viability won’t change. It doesn’t
matter if you give it away—you’re either viable or not.

Q: What if I don’t connect?

That’s one thing bought up in the book How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5
Months! There
are millions of readers. A best seller sells at least 5,000 copies each week.
Only one-percent of novels are Best-Sellers, and 90 percent sell fewer than 3000
copies. Why? In part because the author can’t find his audience. You’ve invested
months on the first novel, and more than a year (over 2000 hours) in the first
seven. Would you do it if you knew that only 21,000 copies of all those novels
sold?

A free novel will do a better job of finding your market. A lot of readers will
take it and move on. Those who stay and buy the next book belong to your
audience. That’s who you’re writing for anyway. Even if they bought your first
novel, they would put it down because they are not your audience anyway. Why
make them pay to find out if they’re your audience?

Did you know Michael Bolton was
originally a heavy metal singer? No, because his audience was the soft ballad
crowd. He found his audience.